Running an e-commerce store on Shopify means keeping your inventory well-organized and easy for customers to navigate. Over time, as your product offerings evolve, you may find that some product types no longer make sense or need to be updated. Whether you’re refining your catalog, fixing errors, or streamlining your categories, knowing how to manage and delete product types in Shopify is key.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of removing a product type from your Shopify store and share best practices for keeping your store’s organization sharp.
What Are Product Types in Shopify?
Before diving into the steps, let’s clarify what product types actually do. In Shopify, a product type is a single category assigned to an item to help organize your inventory. It’s a useful tool for filtering and searching within your store, but each product can only have one assigned product type at a time.
If you’re cleaning up your inventory, you may need to remove or change product types to ensure they still align with your store’s structure and customer browsing experience.
How to Delete a Product Type in Shopify
Unlike collections or tags, product types don’t have a simple delete button. Instead, Shopify removes product types automatically when they are no longer assigned to any products. Here’s how to make that happen:
Step 1: Find Products Using the Product Type
- Go to your Shopify Admin.
- Navigate to Products and filter by the product type you want to delete.
- Review the listed products to ensure they no longer need this category.
Step 2: Remove or Change the Product Type
- Click on a product you want to update.
- In the Product Type field, either:
- Delete the existing product type (leaving the field blank), or
- Assign a different product type if needed.
- Save your changes.
Step 3: Use Bulk Editing for Faster Updates
If multiple products need updating, use Shopify’s bulk editor to modify them all at once:
- Select all relevant products in the Products tab.
- Click Edit products to open the bulk editor.
- Find the Product Type column and update or remove the values in bulk.
- Save changes.
Step 4: Confirm That the Product Type Is Gone
Once all products have been updated, Shopify will automatically remove the unused product type from your store. This may take a few moments to refresh in your admin panel.
Best Practices for Managing Product Types
A well-organized store improves the customer experience and makes inventory management easier. Keep these tips in mind:
✔ Use Consistent Naming Conventions – Avoid duplicate or confusing product types by standardizing how you categorize items.
✔ Perform Regular Audits – Review product types periodically to ensure they still match your product lineup.
✔ Plan Ahead – Before adding a new product type, make sure it won’t overlap with existing categories.
Keeping your Shopify store organized is an ongoing process, and managing product types is a big part of that. By following these steps, you can easily remove outdated product types and ensure your inventory remains clear and structured.
Need help optimizing your Shopify store? Poppy Web Solutions specializes in custom Shopify development and store management to help businesses run smoothly. Let’s chat!
